Connecting the Bible together: an accessible foundation for a diverse church 
 

Jo Acharya, a qualified music therapist, has been working with people with learning disabilities for many years. Her latest book aims to give a basic understanding of the ‘big story’ of scripture - and she believes accessible resources like this can help churches disciple an increasingly diverse community

The Bible plays an essential role in our Christian faith. We hear it preached at church every Sunday, discuss it in small groups during the week, study it by ourselves at home. We consider it the life-giving Word of God. Yet a recent report by the Bible Society found that a third of churchgoing Christians lack confidence in navigating or understanding the Bible.

Why is this, and what can we do about it?
 
The Bible is an intricate collection of 66 books, spanning 1500 years and several literary genres, set in times and cultures far removed from our own. Its sheer size and scope mean we frequently experience it in pieces.

First, as children, we learn the dramatic stories of David and Goliath or Jesus calming the storm, then as adults we focus on a daily verse, or dig into a particular book or topic through a sermon series or group study.

These are all deeply valuable ways to encounter God through His word, but they each give us fragments of a picture, like small sections of a jigsaw. If we don’t know how to fit the pieces together, significant gaps in our knowledge remain.
 
In my experience, many Christians have a good understanding of Jesus’ work on the cross and Paul’s teaching on Christian living, but little idea of how those ideas are rooted in the Old Testament. We don’t know how to begin to make sense of prophecy, and our Sunday school knowledge falls away after King Solomon. What we need, I believe, is a basic understanding of the ‘big story’ of scripture. This acts as a frame for the jigsaw, a strong outline into which we can connect all the other pieces we pick up along the way.
 
There are some excellent resources available to help Christians in this area. The Bible Course, by the Bible Society, is a brilliant group study covering the whole Bible and how it fits together. Tim Mackie’s BibleProject has plenty of free resources, including video overviews, online classes and a fantastic podcast, exploring how the Bible works as a ‘unified story that leads to Jesus’.
 
My new easy read book The Big Story of the Bible addresses this need too. It’s a quick and clear journey from Genesis to Revelation, linking key people and events into the throughline of God’s unfolding salvation plan.

Summaries at the end of each chapter highlight important connections: foreshadowings of Jesus, fulfilled prophecies and recurring imagery.

Along the way there are also ‘zoom in’ chapters, which explain key Christian doctrines like the problem of sin and the meaning of Jesus’ death, as well as giving tips on reading the Bible well.
 
Like my previous book Living Well With God, The Big Story of the Bible is designed to be accessible to people who find reading hard, written at a very basic reading level with pictures to aid understanding. This makes it a super-simple introduction to the Bible and Christianity for people of all ages and abilities.
 
I originally began creating easy read Bible studies to disciple adults with additional needs. Since then, I’ve discovered how many others can also benefit from resources like this. Around 17 percent of UK adults struggle with reading, many of whom are also disadvantaged in other ways. Accessible materials are needed to help us share the gospel with those who cannot read regular Bibles and books.
 
As churches become increasingly diverse, I believe easy read resources also have an important place within Christian communities. In many areas of the UK churches are welcoming groups of asylum seekers and refugees. Easy read resources could enable those with limited English to study the Bible alongside native speakers, aiding their participation in the wider church family.
 
The Quiet Revival also presents new opportunities and challenges. As rising numbers of young people explore church for the first time, are we ready to disciple them? Tim Alford, national director of the youth ministry Limitless, says, 'Gen Z is the first truly post-Christian generation… They are almost entirely biblically illiterate.' Here, more than ever, is a need to present the whole Christian story in a clear, easily digestible format. For newcomers to faith, The Big Story of the Bible can serve as a simple overview and a starting point to build on, while more mature Christians can use it as a quick reference guide to help them join up what they already know.
 
Biblical and theological knowledge are not abstract but thoroughly practical. They shape our worldview and equip us for Christian life. What we believe and understand about God and his Word is lived out in our work, relationships and everyday choices.

Connecting the glorious pieces together helps us make sense of the Christian story, and to root ourselves firmly and confidently within it.
 

Jo Acharya is the author of two Christian devotional books and two easy read books. She lives with her husband in Sussex and is a former support worker and music therapist. She now leads the Bible teaching at a church group for adults with additional needs.

The Big Story of the Bible is available from Amazon worldwide or Jo’s website, valleyofsprings.com, where you can also download free easy read Bible studies

Do you have a view? Share your thoughts via our contact form